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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · court · bat · leaves · ruler · rest · tube · vault

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. vault — a safe
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bat — the animal
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. court — for sport
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. current — of water
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rest — a break

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com